Tips for Longer Electric Motor Bearing Life

There are many factors which can cause bearing failures. Most failures are caused by improper bearing use or inadequate maintenance. And few failures are the result of true bearing steel fatigue. Bearing failures bring a lot of trouble to the proper function of machines. It is said that up to 80% of all electric motors are rebuilt due to bearing failure. If bearing products are proper installed and maintained, their service life will be much longer.

In order to avoid the early failure of the electric motor bearings, a good operating environment is required. The perfect bearing operating environment is contaminant free and has low humidity, a non-fluctuating temperature, and no vibration. In this perfect environment, bearings would be in constant use. Loads would be perfectly balanced, and bearings would be lubricated continuously to eliminate friction and wear. Theoretically, bearing products could last indefinitely under such conditions. However, in reality you can only strive to approximate the perfect environment. But you can still do something to achieve a satisfactory condition.

Firstly, you should align motor shafts carefully during installation. Misalignment between the electric motor shaft and the shaft of the driven equipment is a common cause of premature bearing failure. Such misalignment introduces excessive vibration and loads. When shafts are misaligned, the working life of the electric motor is shortened. Although couplings are typically flexible to accommodate misalignment, don't take advantage of that flexibility. They will not bend or twist during operation if equipment and motor shafts are properly aligned. In order to reach the ideal shaft alignment, you should secure the driven equipment at first, and then you can install the coupling. Only after the coupling is attached to the equipment should the motor be moved into proper alignment.

Secondly, you should manage moisture to extend bearing life. Although it is not always possible to control moisture, it can be managed. Humidity usually is not harmful when motors are running. However, when they are turned off and cool, condensation builds up. Under this situation, you should do something to guard against its harmful effects. For example, using grease fortified with rust inhibitors in bearing assemblies, and frequently rotating the shafts of idle motors whenever you suspect condensation.

Thirdly, you should protect products from the vibration. Vibration can lead to wear of the bearing products which can obviously cause the premature failure of bearings.

In addition to the above aspects, there are still many other important factors you should take into consideration. All in all, the tips mentioned above are quite necessary for you to learn.

More information at: https://electric-motor.made-from-india.com/motor-shaft.php